Take the Fight out of the Kid

Chapter Seventeen

'May the devil make a ladder your backbone- While he is picking apples in the garden of Hell.'- Old Irish Toast.

I don't even know if I'll actually see him again, I don't know if the one man who was supposed to keep my house under my name is still there or not, it if he even paid attention when Luxord and Riku showed up with my letter- I don't even know if they fucking made it!

My nerves have been on end for months and I cant possibly think of anything good coming out of this. In the back of my mind I know that my house is still unoccupied, that I'll have to let those from my past go completely. I don't even know why I've bothered, Xemnas did it, he succeeded in his plot… it's taken so long, but I've finally given up the hope of ever having close to a normal life.

My hands are shaking as I walk down my old street, the stupid 'Cheshire Cat' was no help- he just answered all my questions in riddles and it didn't fucking help! He still has the house under my name and he said that people came for it with a paper- but he didn't tell me if he let them in or not so I'm going in blind.

The house still looks the same from the outside and the lawn is certainly kept- but the city has been paying to keep both the lawn and house clean, so I don't know. There wont be anyway to really tell if they've been to the house or not. Mr. Cheshire-Cat- Person is the worst in the world for speaking riddles at me. If the house has been untouched I think I'll just start over here, let my crying heart finally finish snapping in half so I can collapse and give up for good. Not that I think about it, giving up doesn't even seem all that bad right now. I'm a lost cause and I always have been, my tattoo just points it out to the rest of the world.

'I'm a lost cause, Not a Hero' I couldn't have found a better song quote- the fact it's from a hundred or so years ago just proves that I'm not the only one that's ever felt like this I guess.

My feet falter as I get to the bottom of the driveway, there is no car, but there may not be one. I don't know what kind of jobs- if any -they've acquired. I look down at my left forearm where my tattoo is and sigh. I'm so fucking lost that it's bordering on pathetic right now, Roxas is gone, I should accept that… I just cant. Even if they made it away from Saïx he probably died during detox. Nightmare Delirium is too harsh a drug to give up.

My feet just wont move from this spot at the front of my drive. Both possibilities make me want to run away and die, but I cant- I just cant. I have to know what's going on in the world and I have to face the few fears I still have. Facing them is going to be a bitch, but it has to be done!

I take a deep breath and walk up the steps that border the steep driveway. The garage is still painted the same mahogany color it was thirteen years ago- wow… thirteen years, Roxas' favorite number.

I have seen every old great wonder of the world, yet none of it is as vivid now as this house. The pyramids of Giza have crumbled and my memory of them is gone. The Great wall of China has fallen to my minds eye of this house all those years ago. The Eiffel tower has bent and distorted in my memory and everything else I've seen on my travels no matter how huge or Great they were- they are all nothing compared to this house in front of me.

Cheshire gave me a key, it's small size is a huge weight in my hand- to the point that I don't want to use it. Shakily, I do raise my hand and put the key into the lock. My arm is shaking and I'm remembering that extremely tall building in Tokyo now- I almost puked because I thought it was swaying -and I feel the same way right now.

I push the front door open before stopping and slamming it shut again. I've written my fucking book, I should still be able to do this! But it's that last fucking line that's been ringing in my head since I stopped writing it!

'My story's still not done, but I want it to disappear.' critics love it, teens love it, adults and parents are scared of it and I wouldn't change a thing about it.

My book has become a best seller, right there alongside Luxords books that I've actually managed to read. He made me sound strong, like I had a reason for living, but it was my life through his eyes, from an objective point of view. He had no emotional attachment aside from seeing it all happen.

From the sounds of it, Luxord doesn't think I was broken but some thing I've noticed is that I was never un-broken. There is NOTHING I've done with my life that isn't worthless! Even my book is pointless! It'll never stop the fucking hell that is a Boggle!

I'm shaking I'm so fucking nervous! Ugh! Why cant I do this? I take another deep breath and let it out, I don't want to think of Luxords books about me and Sora now too. He's calling them 'The Boggle Boy Series' and I cant fucking stand it. My book was titled simply: 'Disappear' because I want to. No one knows it's my life story. They think that Axel O'Riley is a clever character name taken from another author that someone wanted their book to be written by and about.

But I'm here, I'm me, aren't I? I'm standing on the same balcony that my parents last spoke to me happily on- that day I went to get Lilly a present.

I should have gone to visit her before coming here, I should- I still can… there is nothing making me open this mahogany door again, but I'll probably cry if I go see her.

Before I have the chance to stop myself I reach forward and walk into the house, my eyes shut tightly and my heart pounding as I push my back against the door once I'm inside. I don't want to open my eyes, I'm scared of what I'll see.

The entrance way smells the same as it always did, trees, grass, a bit of dust… and sulfur. But mostly it smells like home and comfort. I just let my lungs fill with the sent for a minute longer before I even want to open my eyes to whatever truths this place will hold for me.

The courage that got me into the house is coming back and I want to walk around the house before the feeling leaves me, I just don't know if I can stomach it. The fact it still smells the same is hard on me. I'm even still smelling the coppery tang of blood in the air, I'm scared… just like the last time I was here.

I take a deep breath of the coppery, dusty, old smell of sulfur and campfire that has been a comforting scent to me since my first memory of camping with my parents and a few of the neighbors.

That makes me wonder… is this still 'Princess Lane'? the entire town called in that because of the seven girls that lived in the houses surrounding mine. They were nice girls- as nice as girls can get I suppose -they liked me enough and didn't ever get too upset at me for giving them mud-pies when I had spare ones.

My breath has started to calm down as I just think of my old friends faces and names to keep it up. Jasmine- the exotic, dark skinned temptress (even at her age) Aurora- golden hair like sunshine and the reddest natural lips (I couldn't help but notice). Alice- the youngest and most curious girl, she'd get into any kind of trouble she could. Cinderella- I remember her being really graceful and proud (though very shy whenever I brought friends around). Bell was the strong silent type, she really liked one of my friends that had less then cordial outlook on people and things. And Snow- she loved nature, she'd often follow me around in the forest when I went out for training and would always hate it when I told her I wanted to hunt.

The last 'princess' was a small girl, she was overly sweet and it was usually to the point where one could get a toothache from it. Her name: Kairi, her occupation; being as sweet as she could to everyone, she was the second youngest and I'm sure that by now they all look totally different- they probably even act weird or stuck up now.

I take another deep breath and open my eyes, there are no shoes on the matt, but it still looks really clean and impossible to not imagine my families shoes, sitting there on the ground like there is no time anymore.

My feet start to carry me though the house and I'm going down the stairs towards the playroom I last saw my mother dying in. I know it hasn't been that was in a long time, but I'm scared that as soon as I turn this corner I'll see her laying there in the room again.

Courage is failing me and I just spin around the corner so I'm looking into the old play room, I see nothing, it's completely empty- well a few of my toys are still on the ground or on the shelves. The designated place for my stuffed cat isn't even the slightest bit dusty. I look around the room and I do not think that I should have done this, this is just a bad idea and I can feel tears starting to prickle my eyes and my vision is going slightly blurry.

A sound from the corner of the room catches my attention, but I notice it's only a small toy that's fallen off a shelf where I remember placing it a week before it happened.

I let out a sigh as I step into the room, my shoes are sinking into the soft, plush carpet. I half expected for there to be a blood stain on the carpet where my mother had been. But it's clean and the same light cream color that I always remember is there. The other carpeting in the house is a deep speckled blue color that many times I dropped food on, except in the curious case of the guest room that has red carpeting.

I don't want to be here anymore, and the fastest way to get to the meadow where Lilly is, is through the kitchen and that's through the house and the back door is in the kitchen slash dining room.

My feet carry me before I think I've told my brain to move. I'm up the stairs and through the kitchen before I know it ad I'm running through the backyard towards the gap there was in the fence. The gap isn't there anymore and I launch myself so I grab the top of the fence and vault. I pull myself over and lay on top of the fence for a moment, I notice that the gap is still there, but I'm just too big to fit through it now.

I fall down to the ground and start running through the backyard of the old man who used to hate when I used his yard as my own playground. But I've never cared before- so why should I care now? Of course I wont!

I remember the way there like the back of my hand: through Mr. King Hearts backyard, taking care to avoid Mrs. Queen Hearts as she comes out her front door like she always used to. I turn left once I get to the sidewalk and run down the street. I pass a few people who yell after me, but I'm not bugging anyone really so I don't stop and just keep going.

My legs are starting to get tired much longer after they used to though and I'm almost there. My heart is pounding and I'm getting close. Going there shouldn't be an option right now, I should get back on a boat and go back to Canada to just face my fate.

Seeing the clearing isn't a real thing I should do, what if it's not there? Oh god! I could have buried my sister in an uprooted location! What'll I do if that happened? I might die if that happened!

At this point I should just cut my losses and start up a new life in my old house- maybe sell the house and buy a new one to live in. I should just make myself a new life and forget about everything and everyone. I should just take Lumier and Cerberus, and go back to Canada to face Saïx, but I cant because that stupid part inside of me that wants human contact is- and has been -craving Roxas. I don't know what he did to make me fall so hard and fast for him, but I don't think he'll ever leave my head.

I've left Lumier and Cerberus in my car back in the main part of town, where they can't hurt anyone and can still get out- only if they really try. My mind is going all over the place now, every step closer I get I cant concentrate on Lilly. I can see her the way I saw her in that dream, I can see her when she was dead, but I cant picture her the way I left her when she was alive.

My heart's calmed down a bit and I'm abnormally close- I cant even understand how close I am because it all feels like another out of body experience to me.

My legs are basically numb as I was through the meadow and towards the forest- man, that description I gave Roxas all those years ago was really vague now that I think about it. There are many more obstacles to go over then I remember: through the meadow and into the forest- check. Over the huge fallen tree (or under it)- check. Jump over the small stream and follow it up until you come to a large grassy hill- check. Then go into the woods and turn left when you get to the natural arch/tunnel made out of a tree- check. I told him not even remotely close directions. Oh well, I doubt he'd even remember he's so stoned all the time- if he's still alive that is.

I stop as I finally get to the clearing and take a deep breath to keep calm- though I feel as calm as I ever have surprisingly.

Lush green grass, long willow branches dangling from the trunk and branches, a soft breeze that's created due to the simple fact that this is Ireland and it's the best place in the whole fucking world! The willow that Lilly is buried under/ by at this moment has grown beautifully and I can see my carving of her tombstone two feet taller then it was when I left. The tree itself has also grown partly over where she is buried.

My feet carry me of their own accord and I don't remember making the movements, but I'm kneeling in front of her grave with one of the wild lilies that grow here in my hands, god… I'm going to cry- I cant help it. Crying is going to be unavoidable as soon as I move another muscle.

Every beat my heart makes that isn't hers makes me feel bad- I feel really bad looking back on it, that man killed my family because Mr. Cheshires rules, he broke the rule too though- he himself had- or still has -three kids… there was no validation for what he did to me! Either way it should have been me who was supposed to die- not Lilly and my parents! It wasn't right and- great here are the water works, I knew they were coming… though, am I really surprised?

"I'm so sorry Lilly… it really should have been me… it shouldn't have been you. That ass-hole-jack-ass should have killed me, not you. I'm so, so sorry." I couldn't help it, could I? Granted the guy who did it took down my parents- and that wasn't an easy thing to do. But I would have gladly given my life for hers. The rule was only right in that aspect: the younger should be allowed to live.

"Hey! What're you doing here? I should tear you limb from bloody limb you tosser! How dare you be in my secret meadow and in front of my tree!"

I'm frozen as I hear the voice, but I'm scared to find out if it's just my mind playing tricks on me, because surely no one would be able to find this place on their own- or would be willing to go that distance just wandering without being lost. But the voice- it was unmistakably his.

"I'm talking to you, ya bloody git! Because I swear to hell and back that if your just another bloody hallucination, I'm going to kick your ass!" I swallow the bile that wants to rise in my throat as I slowly stand up and turn around so I'm facing this person.

He looks slightly better- oh, no he doesn't. I just didn't actually look at him yet. He's still got huge bags under his eyes, his mouth still looks black from here, his finger nails are fairly colorful and he's still as thin as a bone. But it's him! He's alive! I cant believe it!

"R-Roxas? Tha-that's you… right?"

"Of course it's me you stupid hallucination! Fuck I'm tired of seeing your stupid face every time I have a fucking smoke! It's seriously pissing me off- to no end!" he looks just about right- fucking pissed and for the first time in my life, I'm scared OF him and not FOR him as he raises a smoke towards his lips and takes a drag. He's wearing a black leather chocker and the same necklace I remember as a kid is hanging from it, a checkered-patterned sweat band around his wrist and the same black and white wrings around his fingers.

"Roxas… I know your on ND and it's messing with your head, but I'm me, I swear to anything you want me to that I'm real."

"If your so real, how the hell did you get here? How did you find this place? Because Axel never actually told me that one… 'Axel'" the look he's giving me now has certainly calmed down a lot and I can tell that he's willing to hear the story, and I'll re-tell it all, I will give him every ounce of detail I can if it'll make him believe I'm the one and only.

"I got lost one day when I was sword training… I stayed here for a few days- because I was scared to leave and get lost again." this wont help, I never told Roxas how I found this place, I never gave him my reasons for being out so late and running through the forest that's known to be filled with bandits and thieves, soldiers and general 'bad guys'.

"I don't know why I'm telling you though, I never told you the story before… I guess I'm just… happy to see you Roxas."

"Well I'm not! You're not Axel! Axel is gone and he's never coming to save me from this stupid hell! I'm tired of green! It only reminds me of Axel's eyes! I hate it and I don't even know why I'm telling you this, because your not him!" Roxas looks so enraged and I cant help but feel like I've really messed up his whole life. It really is my fault through, if I hadn't left we might have figured something out- I was smart enough for that!

"Roxas… do you really think I'm not here? That I'm some kind of illusion?" he doesn't look as bad as he did for that short period almost two years ago now, it's longer then I wanted it to be- damn. But maybe he's not as bad, if he's not as bad then I should be able to get through to him.

"Of course you are! It doesn't matter what Sora, Riku or even Luxord all tell me! You are DEAD! I cant love you anymore!" god, this just got really hard. I wish I know how to convince him of who I am, I wish I know what he knows, but I just don't. All I can hope is that I'll be able to convince him.

"Roxas… what'll it take to get you to believe me?"

"Nothing! I wont believe a figure of my imagination! I wont be fooled by these stupid hallucinations!" he clenches his fists and I let out a sigh. I don't know how to convince him without him being not under the influence of that damn drug!

"Roxas, I beg you… if you promise me that you'll get off Nightmare Delirium, I will prove to you that I'm real." the look on his face changes right away and he looks bewildered before it melts away and he's enraged now.

"And how will you prove that, hallucination?"

"I'll stay with you, at all times. I wont leave unless you want me to leave- even then I doubt I'll leave. I've fought through hell and high water to find you again Roxas."

"Nine years… and you find me once I've moved? What kind of sense is that?"

"It'll make sense when your thinking straight again. Roxas, I love you and if you don't think that I'm really me saying this… then I'll tell you every moment until you believe me Roxas." man, I don't think I've said his name this much in such a long time! It feels good to say his name… how did I not notice that?

Roxas looks like he's thinking now, and I understand but I wont give him an option. He'll know it's me and I'll be able to tell him my feelings properly. The fact that I've told him already is horrible of me, he must be seriously confused about everything that I've said and am willing to do so he'll believe I'm serious and honest.

"I don't believe you. Because as soon as I'm off Nightmare Delirium, I'll be too sad that your dead. Y-you have to be some kind of manifestation of my conscious or something. It-it'll hurt too much again, I-I cant take that pain again Axel." alright, the fact he knows how to correctly use 'manifestation' in a sentence is a really good thing at least.

"Fine, think whatever you want… I just wont stop until you get it Roxas." it hurts to know that I can be this close to him, so close, yet he still doesn't know I'm not dead.

"Then I'll just ignore you- I've been pretty good at it before you looked like him. Red hair and green eyes wont change that." the fact he thinks I'm a hallucination really sucks, I want to hug him and apologize, tell him a secret only the two of us know- but he'd figure it's all just made up inside his head.

Showing him real affection might be a saving grace though, I don't want him to think I'm part of his own mind by not being me.

I don't know how far I can go with my own emotions though, I want to do so much- tell him so much! But I cant because I don't want to scare him away from me- but at the same time, he also wanted me in the boggle- he'd looked for someone to play my part be before finding me.

I get up from my place on the ground, I cant think about it anymore… I have to act. The ground around the tree shifts under me slightly just because it's not pact down and quite loose. As I walk over to him my feet sink in ever so slightly. Each step makes his face go just two more shades of red and it looks too precious. I stop in front of him and my palms are sweaty as I reach up to cup his face. He flinches a bit as I touch him and I'm supposing he wasn't expecting to feel anything as I touch him.

His eyes are still super bright blue and they're rivaling the sky, I cant help but smile at him as I lower my face slightly. I shouldn't be doing this, I should just give him a hug and allow him to process it.

I'm watching to see if his eyes relax a bit, I don't want to kiss him if it's going to scare him. The closer I get to the kiss though, the lower his eyelids are slipping. As soon as he grabs my shirt I know that the kiss will happen unless hell intervenes.

His lips feel softer then I remember them, he's also not trying to monopolize this kiss like the first we shared. I don't know how to describe these feelings in me now though, this might not be good. His arms slide up and around my neck as I gently swipe my tongue across his bottom lip and he opens his mouth to me timidly.

The kiss is sweet until I break it for air, my head feels a little light and I'm certainly a little dizzy, but he didn't push me away and he didn't freak out… this is good, most certainly good.

"W-why?" he's pretty dazed and I'm sure that his brain is going insane with why 'his conscience' just did that, so I just give him a smile. I don't want to answer since I've already told him, it'd just get annoying for him to hear it again and again.

He's floundering a little now and pulling away slightly, I don't want him to feel trapped though, so I let him move away. "I-I have to get b-back… yeah." I just smile at him as he starts to leave the meadow, I would follow him back, but I did come to spend some time with Lilly and it wouldn't be fair to leave right now, even if I promised him I'd prove that I'm me by not leaving him.

Watching as he leaves is pretty hard, but if I leave within ten minutes I'll just track him to find out what path he takes to get here. Who knows, maybe he's a hallucination on my part. I don't know if I can feel any kind of hallucination, but if I can, then I might be as crazy as I've already though I am. Seeing my old house has probably made me go bat-shit crazy.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Once I walk up the front steps with Lumier and Cerberus beside me, I stick the key into the lock and knock twice before opening the door.

"Who's there?" Luxord kneels on the love seat and I've got a gun pointed at me, and it's starting to shake in the blondes hand.

"Well I wasn't expecting you to hug me or anything. But I mean: what kind of thank you is that for the guy who gave you the use of his house? Geez man. And put that thing away before you shoot something." his eyes are still insanely huge and I'm proud that the saucers are caused by me, who'd have thought I'd show up at my own house?

"A-Axel? Wh-what the hell are you doing here?"

"Wow, I feel so fucking welcomed. And I'll reiterate for you: it's my house. Got it memorized?" I tap my temple twice with my pointer finger as I give him a huge smirk.

"Axel! Oh-hell-shit-and-back-to-fuck! It's really fucking you!" Luxord hops over the railing and to be honest I'm surprised the old dog makes the landing. He wraps his arms around me in a hug and I cant help but smile a little, it feel nice to have a familiar, friendly touch.

Our embrace breaks and I take a step back and look at him. He's still got his piercing's in his ears, but the earrings are new and different. His hair is cropped in much the same fashion and finally he's out of that annoying Wolf coat and into a business shit and slacks. Good, I wont feel as bad now that I know he's alright.

I make a fist and slam it down on the top of his head- I've grown or he's shrunk it would seem- and he yells as a retort. "What the hell man! The bloody hell was that."

"These railings are not your monkey bars Luxord! If you want to act like an animal use the jungle gym out back! My family paid good money for those and if I wasn't allowed to play on them you sure-as-hell aren't!" I know that I sound like a grandmother, but would you want someone doing that with something our deceased parents bought?

"Wow Axel, didn't mean to upset you."

"Don't worry about it… just expect my damage bill in the mail in a few days." I give him a strained smile when I see the same old hole in the wall at the top of the stairs.

"But! Some of the stuff was here when we got-"

"Relax, I know. I'm just pulling your leg- unless something important is missing or broken." I take a deep breath and let it out with a sigh as I motion for Lumier and Cerberus to explore the house.

"So… where's Riku and Sora?"

"You're not asking about Roxas… how odd… do you no longer-"

"Already saw him… he thinks I'm his conscience in the 'form of Axel' as he put it. There is no need to see him at the moment. He's got a bit to think about as it is. So are you going to answer me?" I head up the stairs and towards the living room, leaving Luxord in the door way.

"They went out for the night. They'll probably be back around eleven or twelve. Roxas is in his room by the way- just incase your interested." I sit down across from the TV and notice right away that the furniture is different.

"Where is the old couch?"

"Sora and I had it put downstairs in that corner of what I'm guessing was your playroom. We didn't want to get rid of anything for certain." I nod my head and let out a sigh as I lean my head back and close my eyes to sleep. Despite the fact that the house still smells like it used to, this couch smells nothing like it.

"Are you going to tell me why it was almost two years instead of one?"

I get up and head back towards the stairs with my hands stuffed into my pockets. "After my nap. I'll tell you everything, everything that my book didn't anyhow." Luxord just smiles at that, indicating he's read it, good to know I guess.

"So: Axel O'Riley… I didn't think you'd be gutsy enough to use your real name for the book or author. I thought it was a fan of my book with a spin-off. So what's changed your mind?

"I made a few friends and lets just say that they took care of my problem that was Saïx following me. Russia is such a nice country in the winter. I stayed in the old palace for a while and my friends who live there are fantastic." Luxord's eyes go wide. It's no surprise to anyone for everybody to know that the palace is being used by the strongest mob in the world. "See you after my nap." I give Luxord one last wave before I vanish down into the playroom.

I close the door and skirt around the place where my mom had been. The furniture is under several white sheets and I pull them off to reveal the old, warn out couch and loveseat set that I used to love sitting on and taking afternoon naps in, during the summer.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Axel! Oh my god it is you!" these words are screamed in my ear as I'm tackled into the couch as someone starts to hug me and jump up and down on me like I'm a trampoline- oh! That's something I should get!

Who the hell is this? The voice is familiar… is it Sora, well whoever it is, their not really bugging me too much. It's been a long time since I've been woken up this way, and I kinda missed it.

"Sora… get off him already, your going to smother him to death." I open my eyes a sliver and look passed Sora to see Riku standing at the door, his arms are crossed over his chest and a smirk is on his face. "Hey Axel, how was your trip?" thank god… he's acting like I just went on vacation and not overreacting, thank you Riku.

"Shitty, thanks for bringing it up." I grab Sora's shoulders since he's just sitting on my stomach now and I flip him off the couch and onto the soft, cushiony floor. "How've you been for the last two years Sora?"

He's blushing and I cant help but smirk and press a quick, light kiss to his cheek and roll off him so Riku wont kill me. "I-I've been alright… R-Roxas is-"

"Don't worry about it Sora. I know some of the details. To be frank I don't want to know the rest right now." I sit myself up a bit and let out a sigh. "Know what time it is?"

"Just after midnight. I'm real sorry about letting him wake you."

"Don't worry about it Riku… do you know where Lumier and Cerberus are?"

"They're in the other side of the room, the door was closed and they were sleeping outside the door." I nod my head and pull myself back onto the couch and I look up at them. Sora's still got a huge smile on his face that looks completely goofy, I cant help but return it. I'm taken aback by the whole situation, being 'home' isn't a thing that I thought was possible in so long so it's hard to take in I guess.

"Alright. I'll see you guys in the morning."

"Really Axel? Your not going to vanish? This isn't a dream?"

"Yes Sora, I'll be here. Promise." he gives a breath-taking smile and I return it as he and Riku leave my room, Sora holding his cheek where I'd kissed him. I know it's just because I shocked him by kissing his cheek, even if it wasn't really emotional, he's not used to that kind of thing from me.

"Goodnight Sora. Goodnight Riku. Goodnight Luxord, Goodnight Lumier and Cerberus, and goodnight Roxas." I give a bit of a smile and lay back down on the couch so I can get some more sleep. My eyes are closed and I think I finally feel peaceful for the first time as I fall asleep in so long… it feels, nice.

AN:

Me: alright, after that last chapter I think I've finally gotten over the 'no one cares what'll I do' feeling about this fic. I want it to send a message of it's own and that message can be interpreted as many ways as you want it to.

Axel: are you going to get mad at me again for talking here?

Me: no, I'm sorry about the last chapter Axel…. It was just a bad day in general and I was at my ropes end.

Roxas: I'm finally back in it! I'm still a stoner, but I'm back baby! Love me!

Me: wow… anyhow. Thank you all for reading, and I'm going to pass it off to Gaara now.

Gaara: thank you all for reading, and we hope to hear your comments to let Elizabeth know how she's doing. She loves critique, it makes her smile.